Toy tower construction



Jan. 2, 1951 J. 1 BQNANNO TOY TOWER CONSTRUCTION.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 1e, 1946 0 Rm mm m0 V5 mL ATTO R N EY Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Cl. LHim-12) 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to towers for toy water tanks.

The present invention contemplates towers for toy water tanks wherein the towers are so made as to closely simulate theappearance of towers for the water tanks 7commonly employed along a railroad right of way'.

According to thepresent invention, such towers employ a base simulating the appearanceof the base of the usual watertower.. plastic or molded lattice elements1 'which support a base for the water tank. These parts are held together by a central tie preferably in the form of a tube which while simulating the supply pipe for the usual water tower, is available to carry wiring up to concealed operating apparatus and provide a grounded return circuit.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, an embodiment in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In these drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational View of the tower for toy water tank;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the same with parts broken away and shown in section along the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on Y the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a perspective View illustrating two of the lattice work members.

The tower employs a base I which is here shown as having the contour of a Greek cross. This base is preferably in the form of a die casting and has twelve column footing simulating elements Il, each with square upwardly opening recesses I4 and central holes or perforations I5. At the center the base has an internally threaded tubular riser I6.

The base for the water tank is shown at 20. As shown it is in the form of a plastic disk, made for example from polystyrene. This molding has a thin upper portion 2| below which are found sleeper simulating elements 22 which appear to be carried on the top of sill forming elements 23. The molding has a central opening 24 to accommodate a metal tube 25 adapted to tie the parts together. The sillforming members 23 are provided with slots 26 which serve to lighten the molding and provide receptacles for pins 2l carried on the upper ends of the lattice members 28.

These lattice members'shown more clearly in Figure 4, are in the form of molded elements.

It requires twelve ofY these lattice elements to make up a toy water tower. a comparatively heavy column forming member 23, diagonal brace simulating elements 301, horizontal tieelements 3l and a thin verticalg element 32. The latter is parallel with the element 29 and is connected to the lcross braces 3ll` and hori-A zontal tie elements 3l.

The columnV forming element 29 of" the lattice isfslotted as indicated at 33 to receive the thin side element 32 of the adjacent lattice.

vided 4with a pin 34.

These lattices are symmetrical end for end and may be reversed so that the two lattices may form an inside corner as indicated at A, Figure 2, or an outside corner as indicated at E, Figure 2. The dimensions of the lattice molding are such that the pins 34 and 21 will t into either of the holes I5 in the base or the ends of the slots 26 in the tower base plate 20. In this fashion the lattice members can all be held in a definite location and will simulate the appearance of a number of structural columns interconnected by diagonal and horizontal braces such as would be used in a structural steel tower. The tube 25 is threaded into the riser IlB in the metal base of the tower and a nut 35 threaded on the upper end of this tube may be employed to hold the assemblage together.

The base lll supports two binding posts 40 and 4I, one of which may be grounded to the base casting and through the central tube 25 and plate 43 under the nut 35, provide a return connection for electrical apparatus grounded to the plate. The other binding post 40 may be connected by a wire 44 which extends up through the tube 25.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of these forms, and various modiiications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a toy lattice work assemblage, a plurality of substantially identical molded elements, each element having a column portion provided with a longitudinally extending groove, a brace forming part extending away from the column part at an angle to the groove, and a connector parallel with the column part and connecting the brace forming parts, the connector being re- Each element has.'

The lower end of this heavy column element 29 is pro-l ceived in the groove of an adjacent column part, and top and bottom plates to secure the upper and lowerends of the said molded elements in position.

2. In combination in a toy, two substantially at, skeleton framing units, each having a lattice in one plane, the lattice comprising a thick element down one side, a thin element down the other side, and diagonal braces and horizontal tie elements between the side elements, the thick element having a longitudinal slot extending at an angle to said plane and adapted to receive the thin element of another of said lattices, the two skeleton framing units being assembled to form a corner by positioning the 'thin element of one unit in the longitudinal slot in the other unit. A

3. A toy support comprising a cover member having a central opening, a plurality of relatively thick, wide sill-simulating elements depending irom said cover member, and a plurality of relatively thin shallow sleeper forming elements depending from said cover member and positioned at right angles to said sill formlng elements, the sill forming elements having downwardly opening sockets, a base having upwardly opening recesses spaced the same as the said sockets in the cover member and a central opening, columns having lower ends in the recesses and thin upper ends in the sockets, and a tie means extending through and connecting the central openings of said cover member and said base.

4. In a toy tower simulating the appearance of a structural steel tower, a base, a superstructure, a plurality of identical, unitary, molded elements, each having a thick edge member forming an upwardly extending corner post for the tower and a panel forming a side for the tower, said side being formed of narrow integral braces forming a lattice and terminating in a thin bar, the thick edge having a longitudinal groove extending laterally therefrom and at an angle to said panel, into which groove the thin bar of an adjacent molded element enters so that the braces appear to interconnect the cornerposts, and means securing the base, the superstructure and molded elements together.

JOSEPH L. BONANNO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the leof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS E Number Name Date 732,384 'I'homsen June 30, 1903 839,169 Mansfield Dec. 25, 1906 841,344 Sciple Jan. 15, 1907 856,198 Adams June 11, 1907 1,143,019 Auchu June l5, 1915 1,530,546 Cowen Mar. 24, 1925 1,795,270 Bratter Mar. 3, 1931 2,374,389 Ording et al May 1, 1945 

